Wario Land 3, known in Japan as Wario Land 3: Fushigi na Orgel (ワリオランド3 不思議なオルゴ～ル, lit. "Wario Land 3: The Mysterious Music Box"), is a video game for the Game Boy Color released in 2000, and the fourth installment in the Wario Land series. It is about Wario entering the music box world, and to get out he needs to collect the five music boxes, and he gets fourteen new abilities in this game.

One day, Wario is flying with his plane over the woods until it runs out of gas and crashes. Unharmed, Wario then stumbles upon a mysterious cave. Inside the cave, he discovers a magical music box. He wants to take a closer look, and that causes him to be suddenly sucked into the music box. In the music box, a mysterious figure informs Wario that he is a god who once protected the world inside the music box, until an evil being sealed away his magical powers in five music boxes. In exchange for freeing it, the figure promises to send Wario back to his own world and let him keep any treasure he finds. With his mind on the money and the fact he can return to his own world, Wario departs on his quest, in search of the music boxes and the many treasures of this mysterious land.

The old man thanking Wario for defeating Rudy the Clown.

After collecting all the music boxes Wario returns to the temple. Once there, the music boxes play a melody together. The song frees the sealed being, who turns out to be the evil Rudy the Clown. The inhabitants of the music box locked his power up in five music boxes; but before he got imprisoned, he turned all of the music box's inhabitants into monsters. Rudy had great plans about again ruling the Music Box World and then the one outside as well. After Wario defeats Rudy, he is met by the inhabitants of the music box, now restored to their former selves. An old man explains that they thought Wario would help Rudy to return to is old form, and tried to stop Wario from causing that catastrophe; they never thought he would defeat Rudy. They thank Wario and transport him back to his world, along with the treasures that he has collected, as promised before by Rudy the Clown.

The base mechanics in Wario Land 3 are very similar to that of its predecessor, Wario Land II. Wario: if Wario touches an enemy, Wario is simply stunned or transformed in one of his many transformations, known as reactions in the Wario Land series (one exception is in the final boss fight with Rudy the Clown, where Wario can be "killed" and get a Game Over). Wario can crouch and walk using the direction pads, use a smash attack by pressing the button and jump using the button.

The game features a more open structure that incorporates some Metroidvania elements. Wario starts the game with most of his powers from Wario Land II missing or toned down. To progress, the player has to collect treasures which grant him new abilities, open new levels or cause changes in the existing levels that allow one to reach previously unaccessible area. The world map is divided into levels, which the player can enter and leave as they please. Should the player not know where to go, they can go to the starting map icon, which indicates where to go next.

Each level contains a total of four colour-coded treasure chests, and as such, the player may need to visit a level multiple times at different point of the game in order to obtain all treasures. To collect a treasure, the player must first find the chest's key. Most treasure chests require completing a puzzle to be collected, and some are guarded by a boss. Not all treasures are necessary to complete the game.

This Wario Land features a day and night system; after clearing a level, day turns in night or night turns in day. This system effects some levels, and some treasures can only be accessed at a specific time of the day.

Ball o' String Wario - Wario will roll back and forth across a course, bouncing off walls, until he eventually unravels back into Wario. This can be used to break blocks.

Bouncy Wario - Wario can jump to new heights. After a amount of time, Wario will return to normal. This form will end immediately if he jumps into water or on spikes.

Bubble Wario - Wario is trapped inside a bubble, allowing him to endlessly float upward, until he hits something. While inside the bubble, Wario has the ability to resist currents in the water.

Crazy Wario - Wario becomes a hard-to-control, dizzy alter-ego. Unlike Wario Land II, Crazy Wario cannot exhale a poisonous gas to kill enemies, and does not change color. Water will revert Wario to a normal state.

Electric Wario - After Wario is hit by a zap of electricity, he is propelled backwards and cannot move for about a second. Any enemies touching him will be immediately defeated.

Fat Wario - With Wario's extra weight, he can easily break through certain blocks which normal Wario can't. As a side-effect, Wario is slow and can't jump as high as normal, but if any enemy runs into him (or if he runs into them) they will instantly be defeated. After a while, Wario will lose weight and return to normal.

Flat Wario - When Wario is flattened, he can glide smoothly in the air to reach places previously unattainable, and slip through tiny cracks in walls. Water and some enemies can turn Wario to normal.

Hot Wario - Wario starts running around with his pants on fire and will slowly burn more intently until he is reduced to cinders. Wario can break through certain bricks in this form. If Wario makes contact with water or until the time limit is over, he will return to normal.

Ice Skatin' Wario - Wario is frozen solid and sent skimming backwards, until he hits a wall. Although a usual inconvenience, he can slide along spikes and other nasty obstacles, as well as defeat most enemies.

Invisible Wario - Wario is invisible, so he can pass through protected doors. However, aside from an occasional glimpse, the player cannot see Wario, either, making this a very difficult transformation to use. Unlike all other Wario Forms, he can still walk through doorways. When Wario goes through pipes, he reverts to normal.

Puffy Wario - When hit by a stinger from an enemy, Wario's head is filled with air. Wario will float upwards until he hits something. This is a feature of many boss fights throughout the game.

Snowman Wario - When Wario is covered in falling snow, he becomes a snowman. If Snowman Wario rolls down a slope, he can break certain blocks. Wario can defeat every enemy in this form.

Vampire Wario - Wario can defeat every enemy he touches. Plus, by pressing the Button, Wario will go to Vampire Bat form, when he can fly in short spurts. To turn into his normal self, he must touch a clove of garlic, go into a patch of light, or fall into a pool of water.

Zombie Wario - Wario is impervious to all enemy damage, can defeat almost all enemies on touch, and fall through thin floors, although he is incredibly slow. Unlike Wario Land II, he is now able to jump, though he cannot jump very high. Water or light will return him to normal Wario.

Lead Overalls: By pressing the B-button and down, Wario can perform a Smash Attack. He can destroy little enemies, fractured blocks and stun big enemies with this overall. (Stunned enemies can be defeated when attacking them again)

Double-Finned Flippers: With these, Wario can swim. By tapping the button, he swims faster.

Spiked Helmet: With this item, Wario can destroy both types of blocks by jumping into them from below.

Red Gloves: Wario can lift small enemies when walking towards them. He can throw them by pressing the button. Holding up throws them up. Keeping the button pressed performs a charged throw. In this case, the enemies are destroyed when they touch a wall. There are special blocks that only breaks by throwing something against them.

Garlic: Wario can also break undamaged blocks with his Dash Attacks, when rolling, or by jumping into them from below. He breaks fractured blocks without being stopped and can also defeat large enemies immediately.

Steel Overalls: Similar to Garlic, Wario's smash attack can break unstructured blocks, break through fractured blocks unstopped, and defeat large enemies immediately. Additionally, it can cause a ground shaker, stunning small enemies.

Jumping Boots: Pressing up while jumping with the Winged boots allows Wario to jump higher. Enemies can also be used to perform high jumps when pressing up while jumping onto them.

Frog Prince's Gloves: With these flippers, Wario can swim against strong currents while tapping the button.

In some levels, Wario will find a block with the word Minigame written on it. Wario can get this block out of his way by playing a minigame of golf, which can be accessed by entering a door with a drawing of a Para-Goom at its top. The door and the block will be found at the same level. This golfing game is not like the real world golf, but the goal is roughly the same; use Wario's smash attack on a Para-Goom and send it into the hole. If it falls into lava or water, another Para-Goom will fall on the closest spot of the lava/water, so Wario will be able to continue. To play this game, the player must press the button to move the blue arrow in the energy meter displayed at the bottom of the screen, and press it again to stop it. Then, a red arrow will appear; they have to make it stop on the red or the blue space inside the meter, or else Wario will stumble and it will count as a shot. The player can also use the direction pads (left and right) to see where the Para-Goom will end up if hit with the maximum power.

To play golf, Wario must have enough money in his possession.

In the north side of the Music Box World, there is a strange uncolored building. After getting all of the seven crayons, the building will be colored and Wario can play golf anytime he wants by visiting it. The number of golf courses in this building is four, but the fourth one can only be accessed by getting all of the Musical Coins, found in all the Music Box World's levels.

There are 100 treasures in total Wario can collect, many of which alter the music box world and open new areas to Wario's exploration. However, not all of the treasures are needed to complete the game.

Upgrades Wario's Dash Attack, so he can smash through non-cracked blocks. Also allows him to break non-cracked blocks with his head and access new paths in Bank of the Wild River and The Colossal Hole, and opens the path to Sea Turtle Rocks.

Powers up Wario's Ground Pound, so he can break non-cracked blocks and stun enemies. Wario can use this upgraded ability to access new paths in Sea Turtle Rocks, The West Crater, Desert Ruins, and The Peaceful Village.

They end the eternal night on the east side of the world, making it possible to access the levels there during the daytime as well. New paths are opened in The Colossal Hole, The Frigid Sea, and the Castle of Illusions.

A set of seven treasures shaped like crayons. Whenever Wario finds one of the crayons, the object will travel to the hill that separates the north side from the west side Depending on the color of it, the crayon will then color a specific aspect of the hill.

The Red Crayon colors the door of the building..

The Brown Crayon colors the forest's ground and the tree trunks.

The Yellow Crayon colors the sign over the door.

The Green Crayon colours the trees and the grass.

The Cyan Crayon colors the sky.

The Blue Crayon colors the bushes.

The Pink Crayon colors the building itself.

Once the entire landscape is colored, the Golf challenge minigame will be unlocked and can be accessed at any time Wario travels from the north side to the west side and vice versa.

The following message will be displayed from now on when starting the game:

Time Attack

Compete for time taken to get all 4 keys and clear the course.

Press on the Map Screen to see the list of best times.

Thus, Wario has to try to collect all the four keys the fastest way possible and enter an exit doorway in this mode. The best time will be saved for each world, though saving when playing a world isn't possible. If Wario breaks his personal record, he will joyfully lift his thumb. Otherwise, he will react as if he wouldn't have opened a chest and entered an exist doorway in the normal mode.

In this case, one will be able to walk as normal, but the game still treats Wario as if he's just rolling. Thus, he can break regular blocks and defeat enemies just by walking through them. Though there is a slight difference, as this state he will even stay if he walks on a hill, enters doors, crouches, climbs up a ladder, performs a normal attack or a Dash Attack.

It will end if Wario gets attacked by an enemy, enters a pipe or if he hits a wall with a regular attack. In the last case, the animation will occur that can normally be seen when rolling Wario smashes at a wall.